Doctor Offbrand - First Words Ever

Doctor Offbrand

First Words Ever
self-released; 2019

​3.6 out of 5

By Vidal Granandos

Doctor Offbrand is a softcore punk four-piece band from Saint Louis, Missouri consisting of musician Hannah, vocalist Eddie, drummer Kevin and guitarist Raine. Having met writing music in high school, the band has since played in various house and benefit concerts. Now Doctor Offbrand is breaking in the local scene by performing alongside fellow musicians. In 2018, the band released their first single “Kiddos.” Now in 2019, they’ve taken the next by dropping their first album First Words Ever, available now off streaming platforms.

​First Words Ever opens with the mellow track “Hello.” In unison Eddie, Hannah and Raine sing the chorus beautifully. The laidback vibe keeps the intro simple, not needing any dynamic instrumentation necessary. Doctor Offbrand switches gears to a much more energetic track with “Soppressata.” Hannah starts things off and showcases her chops throughout the song before Eddie takes over. “Unrequired love, pair of rubber gloves. Ninja turtles, jumping hurdles.”

The next few songs all have the same themes of growing up starting up with “Mighty Human Beings.” The guitar riffs and chorus try to make this into a rock song. But the edge is gone with lines like, “We may not have a lot. We may make mistakes. But my dad makes pancakes on Sundays.” Luckily the following track “Kiddos” accomplishes its goal of capturing the spirit of being a kid while adding a punk flare.  It is an anthem for ’90s babies who are grappling with adulthood while looking back at the fun times memories of childhood. The chorus is upbeat and very catching, “We were the kids 2000s! We were the kings of the couches! We were hanging out TV screens! Going on adventures for hours!”

After being a child comes “Adulthood.” Doctor Offbrand shares the growing pains of being a young adult that everyone can relate to. From drinking cold coffee, to checking bank accounts to wanting to sleep in - realities can hit you fast. And while responsibilities stack up, it’s useless to feel helpless. You might as well accept this is what life is now. “Mowgli Boy” has a dance vibe to it that you can move to. Yet the message is still the same: wanting to be free from a social conforming system that is in place. Credit to drummer Kevin and trumpet player Brendan Solis for keeping the beat of the song fun and engaging. “Continue (Y/N)?” closes out the album with a voice that is desperate and emotional backed by chord progression from “Hello” played in reverse. Its title and placement hopefully foreshadows the progression of the narrative Doctor Offbrand has started, perhaps on the next album.

First Words Ever is the perfect title of this album. The majority of the album was written when the members were getting ready to graduate high school. The overall theme the album reflects is about childhood, growing up and taking care of yourself. The band is young and naïve but sincerely reflects on age experience while dealing with the joys and frustration that a new phase presents.  They never want to comply to capitalistic pressures. First Words Ever also provides bright melodies that you can dance to with delay and flange effects and dual vocals with multi-part harmonies. They sound similar to The Rentals, Plumtree and The Pillows which is why they labeled themself “offbrand.”

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